Waking up to you
by elliot.and.jd.4eva1
Summary: Chloe has a nightmare and Derek comforts her.
1. Chapter 1

**Waking up to you. **

**Hey everyone. I'm not exactly new to . But this is my first Darkest Powers fic. I usually write Twilight, but I loved the books soo much. They were great! Anyway, let me know what you think in a review. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkest Powers series. I swear. Kelley Armstrong does. Go harass her. **

_I was tossing and turning,__ restless. I knew deep down that it wasn't but it felt so real. So life-like. In my mind, it wasn't a dream. It was a terrifying and cruel reality. They were coming for me. Their rotting, decayed corpses were coming. They were closing in, rapidly, and soon, oh so very soon, they would descend upon me. They would suffocate me with the decayed remnants of their once living bodies. The sky was a dark red, the colour of blood. It seemed to fit the situation perfectly. Hundreds, thousand, maybe even millions of the undead were advancing on me. I had brought them back, raised them. Wrenched them from whatever peace they had managed to find, and shoved unceremoniously into their rotted carcasses. The horror of which I could not even begin to fathom. And it was I who had done it. I, the necromancer, had bestowed this horror upon the poor unfortunate souls now before me. And they were coming for revenge. They wanted to punish me for what I had done, and they would get their wish. I had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, no-one to save me. The first was now very close, a mere few feet away, at most. The others were close behind. There was nothing I could do. Simply lie in wait until they reached me. I could only hope that my demise would be as quick as possible. The first one touched me, making my skin crawl. The others followed suit. I whimpered and made myself as small as physically possible. A sound escaped me. A name. 'Derek.' More whimpers. 'Please Derek! Help me!' Then, the skin-crawling sensation of them on top of me stopped. I could feel myself being shaken. The bodies began to dissipate, the sky becoming less focused. 'Chloe!' A voice whispered urgently. I could feel myself being dragged out of the horror. Slowly, so slowly, it faded away. Then... I woke up._

Derek was holding me, asking me if I was okay. I buried my face in his chest, sobbing. It was a dream, a dream. I chanted to myself. A dream, just a dream. I knew this was true, but I continued to sob fiercely enough to wrack my entire form. Derek's arms enveloped me in a tight hug. My arms wound themselves around him of their own accord as I continued to sob. They gradually began to dissipate and I went limp in his arms. He stroked my hair and stayed silent for a moment, then spoke. 'What happened?' He asked softly. Though instead of answering his question, I asked one of my own. 'H-How did you know?' Curse that stutter! 'I heard you whimpering and calling my name. I ran in here and saw you were having a nightmare so I woke you.' Both his voice and his eyes were gentler and more caring than ever before. His green orbs were swimming with concern. Despite my fear, my stomach flipped at the sight. 'Thank you.' I mumbled. 'Tell me, Chloe. What happened?' His voice was urgent. 'The bodies. Dead. So many. They, they were coming for m-me.' My voice broke on the last word and the tears began again. They were streaming rapidly down my face and Derek seemed at a loss for what to do. 'Shh,' he said. 'It wasn't real, okay. Just a dream. Now lie down and go back to sleep. You look exhausted.' Was he insane? I couldn't go to sleep. I'd go back into that dream, or worse, it would become a reality. Derek saw what I was thinking and his face hardened. 'Bed. Now.' There's the Derek we all know and, well, know anyway. 'B-bu-but!' I stuttered. His face softened again. 'I'll stay until you fall asleep, okay?' He moved to sit on the floor but I hardly thought that was fair. He was staying with me for my sake; he shouldn't be uncomfortable for his troubles. 'Lay down next to me.' I said and gestured for him to do so. He stared at the space beside me warily. 'Come on,' I giggled. 'I don't bite.' His mere presence had set me at ease and my tense muscles had relaxed. I felt, almost, happy. It was…strange. 'Maybe so,' he grumbled, 'but I might.' I chuckled as he slid in next to me and his arm encircled my waist. It was a tight enough fit, due to his sheer size, but we both fit, just. He stroked my hair and I began to drift away, a smile fixed to my lips. The last thing I heard before I slipped into oblivion was a quiet murmur of 'Cheer up, sleepy jean.' The song that he hated, he sang to calm me. And then I realised what this feeling of happiness was, where it had come from. Oh.

**Well, like it? Hate it? Indifferent about the whole thing? May remain a one-shot. May not. Depends on the feedback I get. Now do you see that green button below? Yes? Well, I dare you to click on it. Go on! I dare you! Review! **

**Kate**


	2. Chapter 2

**Waking up to you. **

**Let me know what you think. Review! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkest Powers series. I swear. Kelley Armstrong does. Go harass her. **

''What the fuck?!'' roared a voice.

Tori. It was far too early for her to be shouting. I groaned and rolled over.

''What do you want, Tori?'' I mumbled.

I struggled to open my eyes and looked up at her, shielding them from the blinding sun streaming through the window. What in God's name was she doing up? She looked down at me disapprovingly. Her hands glued to her hips, and a perpetual scowl fixed to her face.

'What?!' I groaned. 'What do you want?! What? What? What?!'

I said the last word a tad loudly and felt something stir beside me in the bed. Oh, no. He must have fallen asleep too. No wonder Tori was glaring at me.

'Ugh,' groaned Derek as he sat up and rubbed his bleary eyes. 'What time is it?' he groaned. Then he realised where he was and went red. Almost as red as I'm sure I currently was. An evil smirk crawled onto Tori's face. Not good, not good!

'So?' she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. 'When, may I ask, did you two begin to sleep with one another? And why haven't you told the rest of us?' She grinned at us then, a terrifying grin that sent chills down my spine. Derek growled at her.

'Shut up, Tori. Chloe had a nightmare and I accidently fell asleep.' Then he stood up and pushed past her out the door. I sat there frozen, unable to even blink. Tori once again sneered at me and left the room.

**Okay, I wrote another chapter due to feedback. Thanks for all the reviews! I swear that usually I write more than this, but I have exams on at the moment and this is all I can write right now. ****The next one will actually be a decent length. Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Waking up to you. **

**Let me know what you think. Review! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkest Powers series. I swear. Kelley Armstrong does. Go harass her. **

I sat there for a moment. Thinking. My life had become so confusing and complicated in such a short period of time. It was quite ridiculous. Actually. So ridiculous that I almost laughed. Almost. Maybe I was imagining it all. Maybe I'd wake up tomorrow and go to school. Maybe I'd lead the normal life I had always craved. Did I even want that anymore? Just a few short weeks ago the answer would have been a definitive yes. Now, I wasn't so sure. I groaned in frustration. Everything was so bewildering, I couldn't make sense of anything anymore.

I had my face buried in my pillow when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up and was surprised to see Simon.

''Hi,'' He said. ''You okay?'' His eyes swam with concern. The sight made my stomach flop. Just another thing to add to the list of difficulties in my life. This. Thing. This…attraction that I felt for Simon. And last night. The sensation. Derek. I internally groaned once more. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!

''Uh, Chloe?'' he asked once more. ''Are you sure that you're okay?''

I nodded feebly and stood up. I would have to leave my room at some stage today. Now seemed like as good a time as any. We walked down the stairs side by side, but there was tension in the air. We didn't seem to be able to pick up our easy banter as we normally did. I knew why I felt awkward. What had happened. Last night. Jut the thought of it made my stomach tie itself into knots. But why did he seem so awkward? Maybe he didn't feel the same anymore. Maybe it had been just a passing crush. Perhaps that would be better, easier.

We entered the kitchen to the sight of Derek rummaging in the cupboards. Did that boy ever stop eating?! He turned around to greet us with his signature grunt. Then he resumed his inhalation of any food in his path. I grabbed a bowl and got some cereal before he could eat that too. Simon sat across from me whilst I ate and watched me. It was somewhat…unnerving. When I had finished, Simon asked to speak to me, privately. I thought that I saw Derek's ears perk up somewhat, but I could have imagined it. When I looked at him again he seemed completely immersed in his food. Teenage boys.

Simon and I walked outside, behind the house. I waited while Simon toed the ground with his shoe nervously. Finally, he began.

''Uh, Chloe?'' I nodded and encouraged him to go on. ''Well, you know the way that I have liked you for some time now?'' He looked up at me expectantly. I felt my cheeks flush. No Simon, not now. Please!

''Um, uh, yeah, I guess.'' I replied, uncomfortable beyond comprehension. He seemed to be pretty uncomfortable himself.

''Well,'' he continued. He scratched his head, seemingly wanting to prolong my suffering.

''I, ah. I don't really feel that way anymore. Sorry.'' He finished. And that was it. I was ashamed to note the huge wave of relief that washed over me. He looked at me worriedly, trying to gauge my reaction. My thoughts must have shown on my face since he simply chuckled and murmured, ''Knew it.'' Then he walked away.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?!

As I walked back inside, I passed Derek. He seemed to be smiling. Derek. Smiling. What had the world come to? I sat down opposite him.

''What's up?'' I asked.

''Nothing.'' He murmured through smiling lips. Then it hit me. He had been eavesdropping. I felt the heat creep onto my face once again.

''You were listening!'' I accused him. He didn't deny it, so I took it as proof of his guilt. I put my hands on my hips and scowled at him. Even when I was standing and he was sitting, he was taller than me. Damn werewolf! He began laughing at the sight of me and told me that I was like a little angry kitten. Thanks Derek! He was teasing me. Derek didn't tease. Ever. What was going on? Maybe he was delirious.

Delirium. Fever. The change! How could I be so stupid? Such a high fever would no doubt inflict delirium. I noticed from the corner of my eye that he was indeed once again scratching. I walked right up to his face to check his eyes.

''Whoa,'' he said, ''Personal space.'' Though he didn't seem to mind overly so. I had been right. His eyes were glittering. Suddenly the door swung open and Tori walked in, grouchy as ever.

''Get a room!'' she growled. Then walked out once again. I didn't care enough to be embarrassed. But, evidently, Derek did. He pushed away from me and out a large distance between us. This hurt a bit, but I shook it off. There were more important matters to attend to.

''You're changing,'' I accused. ''And you didn't tell me!'' He looked down, shame-faced.

''I didn't really want you to know. I think it will happen tonight. Completely, I mean. I knew you would insist upon being there, but it's too dangerous.'' Tonight? It would happen tonight? And he expected me not to be there with him? Idiot.

''Wild dogs couldn't keep me away.'' I laughed at my pun. He simply groaned.

Well, I thought it was funny.

**Well, not overly long. Exams. I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think! Review! Now, question time. Who thinks that Derek was happy due to delirium? No-one? Good, have a cookie. Don't forget to review. **

**Kate**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, this is probably the longest chapter of this story so far. ****I had fun writing it. Let me know what you think. Btw, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, favourited, story alerted, etc. You all rock! 33 reviews for 3 chapters. That's great! A lot more than I expected. Please keep reviewing! If you do, Derek will thank you personally….**

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own the Darkest Powers series. I swear. Kelley Armstrong does. Go harass her.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

CPOV

I was in my room. Waiting. Everyone else was long in bed. However, I was not. I could not sleep, no matter how hard I tried. Derek had told me to go to bed, that he would come and get me when the Change began, but I didn't believe him. If I were to fall asleep, it would be extremely simple for him to 'forget' his promise and go into the woods to face his pain alone. Good lord, he was stubborn. So here I was, pacing, waiting for any sounds of movement in the silent house. I didn't doubt that he would try to sneak out. Even though he knew I was awake.

Just then, I heard something fall and a muttered curse. I raced out of my room and down the stairs. I put my hands on my hips and glared at Derek.

''Going somewhere, are we Derek?'' I tsked.

''Go back to bed, Chloe.'' He grunted. Thought it sounded forced. I could tell that he was in severe pain

''Shut up and let me help you.'' I said as forcefully as I could.

''Fine.'' He sighed resignedly and walked out the door. I walked behind im and struggled to keep up with his long strides.

He walked deep into the surrounding forest and then began to stumble. When he could no longer move from the agony, he fell to ground. His entire form began to wrack violently. His face showed a mixture of fear and agony. His eyes rolled around, panicked. They seemed to be searching for something. Me? I grabbed his hand and began to stroke it softly. This seemed to calm him somewhat. The wracking became worse. He began to wretch and heave, food and stomach acid spewing over the surrounding shrubbery. A sickening crunch signalled that his bones were beginning to reshape themselves into canine form. I gulped. I had to be strong. But looking at him, in such agony, so vulnerable. It made me feel like crying. I could sit here and stroke his shoulders, his back, his hand, his cheek, whatever was available. I could say that everything would be okay. That this was normal. That the pain would subside. I could do this. What I couldn't do was make it true. I couldn't really _do _anything. Here he was, shaking in front of me. Moaning, groaning, in complete agony. And what was I doing? Whispering in his ear that everything would be okay, that's what. I couldn't promise that. I didn't know that. But it was all I could do. So I did it.

I sat there, all through his Change. I watched as his human body transformed. As his spine ripped from its rightful place and twisted and turned. As fur began to sprout beneath my fingers. As his teeth and fingers elongated into fangs and claws. As his tortured cries and shouts turned into growls and howls. As he made the transformation from man to wolf.

By the time the transformation was finished, my face was soaked by the tears that had fallen without my knowledge. He had been in so much pain. It wasn't fair. Looking back at me now was the most beautiful wolf I had ever seen. I noticed that he still had his eyes. His piercing green eyes that were currently looking at my tear sodden face with concern. And, if I wasn't mistaken, shame. He thought that it was his fault! That I was scared. Ridiculous. I threw my arms around him and wagged his tail in contentment. I giggled. This was a different side to Derek. A side that needed to show itself a lot more often. He ran around in a little circle and then curled into a tight ball on the ground. He then made a sound that resembled a yawn. He wanted to sleep out here? It was freezing! I couldn't leave him alone though. I couldn't blame him for wanting to sleep, he must be exhausted. So I lay down beside him, promising myself that it would only be for a little while. That we would then go inside. But I hadn't realised just how warm Derek would be. I was so comfortable. I snuggled into him and the warmth and soon drifted off to calming sound of his heartbeat.

When I awoke, it was bright outside. I was surprised to note that I'd had no nightmares. Not one. Actually, it was one of the best night's sleep I had ever had. I then recalled the night's event. Derek. Change. Completed. Derek had completed the change. And then. And then we had fallen asleep outside. I could hear the steady breathing of someone beneath me. Beneath me? I opened my eyes and looked down to see Derek with a smile on his face. I had fallen asleep on his chest. Which was...bare? I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. Of course, it made sense. His clothes had been torn to shreds during the Change. Then it dawned on me, if his shirt had been torn, then his trousers would have been too. And his, I gulped, boxers. I had slept and was currently lying on a completely naked boy.

My cheeks turned crimson. I tried to push myself from him without allowing my gaze to travel south. However, Derek was having none of it. He clutched me to him tightly and mumbled something incoherent. He was still asleep and I really didn't want to wake him. The situation was awkward enough as it was. I looked around us and saw the torn shreds of his once clothes. There was nothing left intact. Nothing that would allow Derek any privacy when he did wake up.

After a substantial amount of time, I was finally able to free myself from Derek's grip. When I did so he groaned and rolled over. I held my breath, thinking he would wake up, but then he began to snore loudly once again. What now? He would wake up soon. There were no clothes for him. Just the thought made my blush deepen. I needed to cover him before I did or said something stupid. Bad Chloe, I berated myself. Bad thoughts.

So I took off my jumper, the only available piece of clothing I could part with, and carefully draped it over him. I did my best not to look at him as I did so, afraid it would push me over the edge. When his, ahem, lower body was covered, I breathed a sigh of relief. The jumper didn't cover much, but enough. I thought then that it was safe to look at him. However, when I did so, I found myself transfixed by his chest. He looked perfect. And happy. It was nice. The worry lines that seemed to be ever present on his face had smoothed themselves out over the night. I placed my hand on his forehead. Even his temperature had gone down. He seemed to be infinitely better. I sat back and allowed him to sleep.

It seemed like no time later that he did wake up. However, I knew that it had been hours. The sun was beginning to set. He hadn't slept in so long and last night must have absolutely exhausted him. The air had turned cold and I was beginning to shiver. He furrowed his brows at me and asked me why I had let him sleep so long. He then noticed his almost naked state and my jumper spread across his thighs. He seemed sheepish at first but then began to chuckle.

''Innocent, little Chloe.''

I glowered at him. He then noticed my shaking form.

''You're cold.'' He stated.

''I-I'm f-ff-fine.'' I said, unfortunately the chattering of my teeth said otherwise. He raised an eyebrow at me.

''Come over here.'' He said. 'I'll warm you up.''

I was a tad reluctant, due to his state of undress. He noticed this and reached out for me. He took me by the waist and lay me down beside him.

''Don't worry.'' He chuckled. ''I don't bite.''

I felt his arm curl around me and once again drifted off into unconsciousness in his warm embrace.

**Well? What do you think? Tell me and review! A kiss can't be far off. A profession of love? Whatever will happen next? The only way to find out is to click the little green button and REVIEW! *rant over***

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

**Thanks, **

**Kate. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! I have another update. ****Yahoo! Sorry for the delay, I had a bit of computer trouble, but it's here now. This chapter pretty much wrote itself. It was fun to write. Let me know what you think! Review! Btw, 47 reviews for 4 chapters, seriously? I love you all! You rock! **

**Derek: Kate, you don't own Darkest powers. **

**Me: What? What do you mean? How could you say that? What did I ever do to you? *falls to the floor, rocking back and forth***

**Derek: It's okay. We're going to get you help. Now, you have to admit it. That's the first step. **

**Me: Okay, *sniffles* I don't own darkest powers. Happy? **

**Derek: Immensely. *smirks***

**Derek isn't very nice. **

**Enjoy the chapter. **

CPOV

Once again, the light of a dawning day awakened me. I attempted to stretch, but something heavy pinned me to where I lay. I began to panic. Had I been captured once again?! Seriously, this was getting old. If my life were a movie, the audience would become bored with the monotony of my terror. I took in my surroundings and the events of the past few days came rushing back to me. I let out a sigh of relief. I had not been captured. I was perfectly safe. Safe with Derek. Thoughts of his name reminded me of the weight around my waist. Derek! I looked behind me and confirmed that it was, in fact, his arm. He was sleeping peacefully with a large smile on his face. The worry lines had smoothed out in sleep, the worry of waking hours forgotten for the moment. My gaze travelled down his form and I remembered his near nakedness. My jumper had shifted during the night, so now it was covering even less than before. I tried to tear my eyes from the sight. I really did. But it was fruitless. My gaze was glued to the masterpiece that was Derek. There was nothing I could do about it. My eyes drank in his form greedily and I may or may not have drooled.

I continued to look at him. It may have been hours, perhaps seconds. But then, his eyes fluttered. He stretched the muscles of his body, working out the kink of the night. I was mesmerised by the sight. This allowed me to inch away from him slightly, which aided me in regaining some of my composure. I regrettably tore my eyes from his body and looked into his eyes. There was a lopsided smile on his face and he seemed to be still half asleep.

''Hey Chloe.'' He said sleepily. ''Sleep well?''

''Y-yeah.'' I stuttered, my gaze inching towards his thighs of its own accord. He looked down in confusion and flushed bright red when he realised that the jumper had slid off completely. He hurriedly put it back in place and ran his hand through his hair, looking anywhere but at me.

''Uh,'' I said. ''Well, um, maybe we should, uh, go inside now. We've been out here for a long time and I'd say, uh, that the others are wondering where we are.'' I stood to do just this and waited for Derek to do the same.

When he didn't I looked at him strangely. He looked at me and flushed once again.

''Um,'' He said. ''That's a great idea. But all I have is this clothes-wise.'' He gestured to my jumper which seemed ridiculously small against his large body, covering close to nothing. 'And uh,'' he continued. 'I wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. Us being out here so long and then going back with me practically naked. You know.'' He cast his eyes downward at this, his face as red as a tomato. When what he had said sunk in, my skin tone matched his.

''Oh, y-yes,'' I stuttered. ''I-I'll, uh, go, uh, g-get you s-some clothes.''

I raced back through the forest to the house. Fortunately, it seemed that no-one else was yet awake. Had they deduced that Derek was changing and realised that was where we were? Or had they been worried sick? Well, I thought as I grabbed a shirt and jeans large enough to fit Derek, we'll find out when we get back.

I raced back through the woods and was with Derek once again.

''Here.'' I gasped as I thrust the clothes into his waiting hands. He raised an eyebrow as I leaned over and attempted to catch my breath. I shouldn't have run so fast, I thought, as my heart exploded in my chest. As I did so, I saw Derek move out of the corner of my eye. Was he dressing? Now? Right in front of me?! Apparently so. Again, from the corner of my eye, I saw my jumper drop to the ground. Derek was fully naked. Right in front of me. I merely had to raise my gaze ever so slightly and I would be able to appraise him fully. I gulped and hastily turned around, internally chastising myself for such thoughts.

''Uh, Chloe?'' I heard a voice. Was he dressed? No, he couldn't be, not yet. Why was he talking to me? Just dress already, Derek! Before I do something impulsive and embarrass the two of us beyond comprehension. Please.

''Yes?'' I answered hesitantly, still not turning around.

''Uh,'' He replied sheepishly. ''You, uh, didn't give me any boxers. Did you, uh, forget them?'' My entire face turned bright how could I have forgotten boxers? Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

''Oh my god, I'm s-so s-sorry.'' I stuttered. ''I'll, uh, go get a pair now.'' A hand on my shoulder stopped me. A hand that was attached to a still very naked Derek. My blush deepened. That thought led to other thoughts, bad thoughts. Bad Chloe, bad.

''It's okay,'' He said. ''I'll get a pair back at the house.'' Then he moved away to, I assumed, get dressed. I breathed a sigh of relief. Imagine what might have happened had I had to touch a pair of his boxers? What if I got someone else's by accident? For example, Andrew's? I shuddered.

I heard a zipper and thought that it was safe to turn around. I was right. Not even his chest was exposed now. He had put his shirt on first. I smiled at this little quirk. Even though he was now dressed, Derek was still ridiculously, and unfairly, tempting. I shoved my hands into my pockets in an attempt to stop myself from reaching out and grabbing him. We were silent for the short walk back to the house. When we got back to the house, he held the door open for me and smiled a smile that made my insides melt.

Upon entering the kitchen, Derek's stomach grumbled loudly, demanding his attention. It was almost like it was a separate entity, not prone to being ignored. Derek then proceeded to raid the entire kitchen, inhaling anything edible in his path. I found even this endearing. Simply because this was something that made Derek, Derek.

I was in deep. Really deep.

**Well, what did you think? Could the ending be construed as a cliffy? If so, Yey, I love ending the chapter on a cliffy. Something that anyone who reads my story, ''we're married?'' knows only too well. Anyway, please review and let me know what you thought. Reviews save puppies. Nah, not really. But they do encourage me to update faster. PM me either and if I'm feeling particularly generous I may send you a sneak peek of the next chapter when I have it written. Until next time. **

**Thanks, **

**Kate.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! ****Sorry for the delay. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, etc. 53 reviews for only five chapters. I really am flattered! Thank you for all the kind words, I really appreciate it. This chapter took a bit longer to write than usual, so let me know what you think. **

**Derek: she doesn't own darkest powers. **

**Enjoy the chapter!**

CPOV

I sat down at the table and watched as Derek inhaled food. It was still early, so no-one else was awake. I simply sat there and thought. Over the past few days, my mind had been attempting to force me to accept something that I, quite frankly, did not want to accept. It was so cliché, really. Besides, we did not have the time for this kind of thing. We were on the run for our bloody lives, for god's sake. And I wanted to allow my teenage girl hormones to make everyone's lives infinitely more difficult than they already were. What did I think was going to happen? That I would profess my love to Derek, he would say that he loved me too, and then we would run off to start our lives together and live happily ever after in eternal bliss? Was I dense? I hadn't really factored in the whole running for our lives thing. The constant danger of imminent captivity. But, of course, that was simply a minor detail. Right.

My thoughts were broken by Derek, who was now invading my personnel space, not that I minded. A light blush came to my cheeks, due to the thoughts that had just been going through my mind. Thankfully, he ignored my scarlet cheeks and gazed at me with concern.

''Chloe.'' He said. ''Are you okay?'' He had even stopped eating; he must've been really worried.

''I'm fine.'' I replied, confused. ''Why do you ask?''

''Well,'' He said. ''You just looked really worried. You were deep in thought. I was afraid that something might be wrong.'' It was extremely considerate of him to notice, and even more so to ask about it. I could, of course, tell him what was on my mind. But how would he react? Would he feel the same way? Or would he reject me and subsequently never be able to look me in the eye again? I didn't think that I could bear that. It seemed that I would have to suffer through this in silence. Maybe my feelings would dissipate with time. Though I doubted it.

''Of course nothing's wrong, Derek. What could possibly be wrong?'' He shrugged his shoulders and dove back into his dwindling pile of food. And I went straight back to staring at him. How could he be so dense? So oblivious?

The first person to stumble down to the kitchen was Andrew. He didn't even seem to notice the two of us until he got his coffee. When he did finally see us, he simply sipped from his cup and stared at us, waiting for an explanation. It was unnerving; in some ways it was worse than being shouted at.

''Derek completed his change. That's why we were gone for so long.'' I explained, hoping he would understand.

''Fine.'' He said. ''But if it happens again, let me know beforehand, okay?'' Then he turned around and left. And once again, we were left alone.

A silence descended upon the room. Derek didn't seem to notice and munched on happily, perfectly content. But the silence was suffocating me, pressing against me, making it hard to breathe. I stood abruptly. Derek looked at me in surprise.

''I'm going to take a shower.'' I said hurriedly, and then proceeded to flee the room. I had to get a grip of myself. What had it been? A few minutes? And I was already losing control. Maybe the shower would help. This thought calmed me. I grabbed a towel and headed towards the bathroom.

I sighed in content as the hot water poured down my back, releasing the tension from my muscles. Being on the run really made you appreciate the little things in life. Like a hot shower, for instance. _You don't know what you have, until it is gone._ No truer words had ever been said.

I stepped out the bathroom door, refreshed and with new resolve. I could face Derek and not completely humiliate myself. Nothing had actually changed, not really. I had realised my feeling, yes. However, that did not necessarily mean that he had done the same, or that he had any such feelings to realise. Everything was so complicated.

I heard the first sounds of life in the house and went downstairs to find Simon at the table with a bowl of cereal. Derek was still eating. Seriously, where did he put it all?

''Shower's free.'' I said and sat down. I hadn't eaten any breakfast, but to be perfectly honest, I wasn't in the least hungry. I looked at Derek, who seemed to be coming to the end of his feast. Finally. I began to wring my hands, a nervous habit. I didn't know what to do, simply sitting there. Should I say something, but what? Should I simply leave? I sighed and decided to grab a bowl of cereal. There was no point in denying myself food over the issue. I sat down and forced myself to eat. The silence in the room again seemed to be trying to suffocate me. I stood up quickly and put my bowl in the sink. When I turned around, I bumped into something large and hard. Derek, of course. He had been bringing his plated over and I, being the fool that I was, had accidentally walked into him. Yes Chloe, I thought sarcastically to myself, you're quite the catch.

My cheeks flushed and my gaze travelled up his torso to his mesmerizingly emerald eyes. The intensity of his gaze shocked me. When our eyes connected the kitchen, and Simon, simply melted away. I could see nothing but Derek, and his so very green eyes. Our bodies were flush with one another. His head began to lower slowly, so very slowly as to be almost imperceptible. It was hesitant, cautious. I began to inch closer towards him. My lips parted slowly and my eyes fluttered shut. I could feel my stomach clenching in anticipation and his breath on my lips. So close, so close. Just a second more, and then our lips would connect. The mere thought made me dizzy.

However, the magic spell was broken. Tori entered the kitchen noisily, yawning, snapping the two of us from our reverie.

''Any food in the house,'' She asked, ''or has the dog wolfed it all down?'' She sniggered at her pun. Derek had jumped from me, as if he had been burned. His eyes shone with something I could not distinguish. Regret? Disgust? Repulsion? I gulped audibly. He ran his fingers through his hair, avoided my gaze and left the room. Tears began to well in my eyes. He didn't feel the same. I looked around the room, searching for an escape. Simon was gone and Tori was eating her cereal happily. Tori wouldn't take any notice if I left. I held back the tears and rushed to my room. I closed the door firmly, fell onto my bed, and wept.

**Poor Chloe! Hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to let me know. Review. The Reckoning is out in 4 days! I can't wait!**

**Thanks, **

**Kate.**


	7. Chapter 7

I haven't updated in a while. I apologise. Your reviews have convinced me to do so. 70? For six chapters? Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: Darkest Powers is not mine.

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CPOV

I spent most of the day in my room. After about an hour, I had cried all the tears that my body was prepared to produce. Then I simply lay there, looking at the ceiling dejectedly. How had I judged things so badly? How had I been so wrong? No, how had I been so stupid? I shook my head. I hadn't been stupid. I had assumed he had feelings for me, yes, but it wasn't completely out of the blue. I hadn't simply decided to hope for something that had no chance of happening, therefore ensuring my heart would be broken.

However, lately he had been acting differently. Especially since his full Change. He had been much less adverse to contact with another human being, namely me. He had been spending more time with me. He had even begun to smile. For Derek, this was an achievement. Perhaps it was a push, but I felt that it wasn't completely unreasonable for me to entertain the thought that Derek might feel something for me. His actions would imply such. Maybe he discovered how I felt, somehow, and decided to use it against me. To use it as an opportunity to enjoy himself at the expense of another. This thought began to push the despair from my mind. Pure, unadulterated fury took its place. I had thought that we were at the very least friends. How dare he! What an absolutely disgusting thing to do to another person. My rage began to take control and objects started flying around the room. I would find him and I would confront him. He was probably listening to me crying earlier and laughing. I would make him pay. He _would_ be sorry.

I stormed to the door, nostrils flaring, when it opened of its own accord. This threw me for a moment. Had my fury uncovered some before unknown Necromancer power? My silent question was answered a moment later by the tentative entry of over six feet of hard muscle. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. The sight of him confused me. What was he doing here? Had he come to gloat? The theory reignited the fire of fury inside me, stronger than ever. However, he didn't look like a person who had come to gloat. Quite the opposite, actually. He looked impossibly nervous and seemed unable to keep his hands still. The sight made my heart soften. My anger began to melt away. I began to doubt the probability of my theory. Beneath his cold demeanour, Derek was kind and caring. That was the real Derek. You just had to dig a little to find him.

He still hadn't spoken; he just stood there staring at me with an indecipherable expression on his face. Finally, he began. ''You've been crying.'' He said. It was a statement, not a question. ''Why?'' He continued. This, on the other hand, was a question. And a question that he would not allow me to dodge. He wanted an answer, and he would not rest until he got it. I momentarily considered telling him the truth, then dismissed the idea completely. He would probably phase into his wolf form just to get away from me. I don't think that I could take that.

''I just miss my dad, that's all.' I lied. I avoided his gaze as I did so and was almost certain that he didn't believe me. Great, now he would wonder what the real reason was, and why I would try to hide it from him. ''Well,'' he said cautiously, ''Dinner's ready. I was told to come get you.'' Oh. I felt like a deflated balloon. That was why he was here. Dinner was ready. Without my permission, my brain had entertained fantasies of him apologising for how strange he was acting earlier, confessing that he loved me and had, indeed, been about to kiss me. That he couldn't live without me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Wow, I really was an idiot.

''Uh, Chloe?'' Derek called. I guess I had zoned out. My cheeks heated and I lowered my gaze. I was such a moron. Derek shrugged and began to lead the way downstairs. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something and I was quite happy to leave him to his thoughts. If it meant that I didn't have to pretend that I wasn't madly in love with him and make small talk without stumbling over each and every word, I was all for it.

We arrived in the dining room last. Andrew and Tori looked at us quizzically for a moment, then returned their attention to their plates. Simon simply smiled at Derek in a knowing manner. This seemed to fluster Derek somewhat. I was at a complete loss as to what it could mean. I sat in my seat and was happy to note that someone had already filled my plate. Derek sat beside me and began to inhale his food, as per usual. All through dinner, Derek ignored me. I sighed internally. I guessed that this would become the norm. He had guessed my feelings and would no longer acknowledge my presence. Well, I would be crying myself to sleep tonight and probably for the foreseeable future.

After dinner, I made my way straight for my room. I sighed aloud. Hold the tears, I told myself. The pain in my heart was unbearable. Suddenly, I was grabbed. I was dragged into a closet. The light was off and I could only make out shapes. I tried to scream, but the person planted a hand on my mouth. ''Chloe.'' A voice breathed. Derek? What was he doing? He moved closer and pressed his body flush with my own. I began to feel hot.

I could see his face; it was so close to my own. Jut a breath and our lips would touch. A moment later, that was exactly what happened. Our lips connected and fireworks erupted in my body. I pressed myself as close to him as possible. I threw my arms around his kiss deepened. I attempted to express all my love in the kiss. We were impossibly close to one another. It was pure bliss. Suddenly, he pulled away. He disentangled himself from me and said, ''I'm sorry, Chloe. This was a mistake.'' Then he left.

I watched him go, confused. What had happened? What did I do wrong? Then I realised the truth, he didn't feel the same way. He had been experimenting, to see if he did. And he didn't. I felt my being crumble. He had broken my heart. I collapsed to the floor and curled into a ball. The pain in my chest was unbearable. I began to sob uncontrollably. The agony enveloped me and the darkness descended.

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Ooh, Cliffie? Maybe. Will Derek redeem himself? Who knows! Heehee! Please review! They save puppies!

Thanks for reading,

Kate.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone, I just want to thank you all for reading and all the great feedback. Once again, I apologise for the late update. Fifth year has a lot to do with my lack of time, that plus writer's block and a brother who uses the laptop all day and I'm surprised I got the chapter written at all. Anyway, I'll stop rambling. Once again, I apologise and thank you for all the reviews, 94 for just 7 chapters? They're all lovely and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave them. :) Enjoy the chapter and, of course, don't forget to review! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Darkest Powers, would I be here? Really? No, of course not. *sigh***

I simply lay there for a time. How long, I did not know. I had stopped crying, my body could no longer produce tears, it was that simple. I wondered briefly whether I might be dehydrated. Perhaps, did it matter? It didn't seem to. Did anything matter? Nothing specific came to mind. I stared at a spot on the wall, my eyes had adjusted to the darkness. Why I did not know, but I could not seem to tear my gaze from the wall. Just concentrating on that one spot, it seemed to calm me. It filled me with a sense of...something. Numbness, perhaps. Yes, that was the best way to describe it. I felt immune to pain, to happiness, to sadness, to anything really. That was why I remained there, clinging to the vain hope that maybe, just maybe, if I fixed my gaze on this very spot I would be able to evade the tsunami of emotion that was simply waiting to engulf me, balanced precariously above me, taunting me, relishing my imminent destruction. So I remained there, crouched on that hard, uncomfortable floor, folded in on myself because of the lack of room, and I stared at that spot until I drifted off into a fitful sleep, full of cruel green eyes that laughed at what a naive little girl I was.

I awoke to the sound of movement in the house. My entire body ached, for a moment I surveyed my surroundings with confusion. The space was small and cramped and I was most definitely not lying on my bed. Then, realisation dawned and I recalled the events of last night with horrible clarity. Derek pulling me into the closet, Derek kissing me, my naive belief that we would be together forever, and finally, Derek leaving. I gasped at the sharp pain that thought caused in my chest. Derek didn't love me, he never had and the numbness that I had felt the night before was well and truly gone. I felt anything but numb at that moment. I felt completely miserable. The grief washed over me and the pain in my chest was becoming unbearable. It was becoming harder to breathe. What was I going to do?

I pulled myself into a tight ball and tried to slow my rapid breathing. Calm down, I told myself. Calm down. You can get through this, you will get through this. My breaths slowed and I felt the hysteria subside, for now. However, I could feel it, bubbling there, right under the surface. But, for now, if just for the moment, I could remain somewhat calm.

I stood up slowly and braced myself for the day ahead. I would take a shower, that would make things better, if only marginally so. Then I would begin to forget _him_ and the pain he had put m through, the completely unnecessary agony that I was fighting. This brought on a wave of different emotion. Something that momentarily overpowered my misery. Anger, I was so very angry. Furious, what right had he to do what he had done? His actions before last night had been bad enough. Mixed signals, confusion, his ignoring me. To an extent this was normal behaviour for Derek. However, last night, last night was inexcusable. He had to have known how I felt for him. In retrospect it was probably painfully obvious. He wasn't unintelligent. He would have noticed. And yes, maybe, the fact that he didn't feel the same would have been an awkward situation, but he could have dealt with it much better. He didn't have to convince me he felt the same and then make a complete and utter fool out of me. even though nobody had witnessed what he did, it was still humiliating.

With every passing second, I could feel my anger increasing. He had done an awful, terrible thing and I seriously doubted that I would be able to forgive him. I squared my shoulders and used my anger as courage to open the door and face the houseful of other people on the other side of it. I turned the knob and pushed only to have it collide with some unknown object or person. ''Oh I'm sorry,'' I said apologetically. When I saw who the person was however, I glowered. Of course, it was Derek. Someone up there really must despise me.

His eyes bore into mine for a seemingly infinite moment, he appeared to be confused as to what to do. I could feel myself being mesmerised by the green orbs, as per usual. Suddenly, he shrugged his shoulders and grunted, then all but ran away. I shook my head and scolded myself. I should have hit him, or shouted at him or at the very least made a cutting remark and walked away. Of course I had done none of these things, I had simply stood there looking gormless. Well done, Chloe. Simply astounding.

My shoulders dropped and I made my way to my bedroom to grab a towel and clean set of jeans and a shirt. Thankfully I got safely into the bathroom without seeing anybody. I would have time to compose myself, hopefully. The hot water of the shower did help, though not nearly as much as I would have hoped. I simply wanted to crawl into bed, safe from the world. I wanted to go home, I wanted all this Supernatural stuff to simply be a dream, a dream that would soon end. I would wake up in my room at home, and everything would be as it was. However, I knew this would not happen. Supernaturals were real. I was a necromancer, I could see and talk to ghosts, I could raise the dead. The Edison group had altered our genetics and were hunting us like wild animals, perhaps with the intention of killing us. All of this was real, not a dream that would end. This may not ever end, this constant running and hiding. Perhaps we weren't safe even here. Perhaps it would just be a matter of time before we were on the run again. I didn't know.

I felt so very tired. Not physically, just emotionally spent. Maybe I would pretend to be sick and stay in bed for the day. No, I shook my head, I would not hide away. I had nothing to be ashamed of. That was Derek. I entered the kitchen and found everyone eating breakfast. Derek looked up from his huge pile of food and stared at me. His mouth opened hesitantly, as if to say something, but then closed, his eyes falling back down to his food. I sat down as quickly as I could,next to Simon. He looked from me to Derek and raised his eyebrows, I simply ignored him.

At several intervals throughout breakfast I caught Derek staring at me, a thoughtful look on his face. Every time my face heated with anger and he would look away. After breakfast I decided to go to my room for a little while. Just a little while, I reassured myself. I wasn't running away. I wasn't hiding. I hoped I wasn't anyway. I had just put the earphones in and settled on my bed when a knock sounded on my door. Before I could answer it was opened and the last person I wanted to see entered. ''Chloe,'' He said, while closing the door softly, ''We need to talk.''

**Cliffy? I think so. Heehee. I just love cliffies! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review! **

**Thanks,**

**Kate. **


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